RSS Feeds
Recognition and Treatment of Potentially Fatal Asthma
- RONALD FELDMAN, M.D.
- Requests for reprints should be addressed to Ronald Feldman, M.D., Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
Excerpt
It has frequently been stated and taught that bronchial asthma is not a lethal illness. Our experience has led us to question this concept, and a review of the literature reveals that death from asthma is not rare. This report is based on 12 cases of the syndrome of fatal asthma and includes 2 patients who were resuscitated from near-fatal episodes. We have tried to find clinical and physiological clues which may help us to delineate the asthmatic patient who is apt to die during a paroxysm.
Asthma was first described by Aretaeus, some 1,600 years ago, and the history
Acknowledgment
The author wishes to thank Dr. M. Henry Williams, Jr., for his advice and encouragement.
Summario in Interlingua
Es describite 14 patientes qui manifestava le syndrome de asthma letal. Duo de istes esseva resuscitate a bon successo. Inter le 12 casos letal, 8 esseva examinate post morte; omnes exhibiva un characteristic tableau pathologic: extense obturation de bronchos per muco spisse, le qual causava asphyxia per obstruction mechanic del vias aeree.
Le patientes—masculos e femininas—habeva etates de inter 4 e 72 annos. Le serie includeva nulle patientes con asthma "extrinsec." Analyses de gas in sanguine arterial esseva executate in 7 casos; omne iste 7 patientes exhibiva hypercapnia e etiam hypoxemia. Isto es considerate como diagnosticamente importante proque hypercapnia es satis rar durante le paroxysmo asthmatic; illo ha essite trovate in solmente 3 altere patientes in nostre clinica.
Le successose tractamento del 2 patientes jam moribunde (arresto cardiac habeva occurrite) esseva rendite possibile per tracheostomia. Ambe iste patientes subsequente experientiava complete reversion de lor anormalitates clinic e physiologic.
Le mesuration del tension de bioxydo de carbon es un importante auxilio in le tractamento de patientes con sever e repetite paroxysmos asthmatic. Si mesurationes serial indica hypercapnia de grados progressivemente sever, tracheostomia es indicate.
Article and Author Information
-
From the Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and the Bronx Municipal Hospital Center, Bronx, New York.
-
Supported in part by grant 1011 from the Health Research Council of the City of New York.
-
Dr. Feldman is a Teaching Trainee of the American Thoracic Society.
-
- Received January 11, 1962.
- Accepted March 12, 1962.
Related Clinical Content
